Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Deirdre has always been invisible and has always been great at everything; the harp, school, life. And when she meets the mysterious Luke her life changes forever. Her and Luke fall into an unspoken agreement that she pretends he is normal and then can continue to be together. But when strange things start happening to Deidre she has to question what Luke is really hiding. And if his secret is too big, is it too late to go back or has she chosen to fall into a world she knows nothing about but is irrevocably drawn to her.

The Good: I don’t know why I hadn’t read this story sooner. Stiefvater is one of my favorite authors. I just love the beautiful, diverse things she can do with words. She really has an incredible talent. I absolutely loved the opening and I’ve really never seen anything like it. She alternates between scenes every other paragraph yet they both coincide. Very unique, you really just have to read it. The big secrets really make the story enthralling. I just kept flipping pages for answers. And of course because it’s Maggie even your water proof mascara won’t stand up to her. Though I will admit it wasn’t near as bad as Shiver or Linger. Stiefvater just has a way to keep you captivated and entertained through every second.

The Bad: Lament had a really weird structure to it. It was broken up into six books. Which were kind of like glorified chapters. And it did have chapters. The only think that really set them apart was the fact they had what I’m assuming a poem or a song found in faerie folklore. I didn’t really mind it was just different. Also this book is not for the action lovers. While it has loads of mystery and romance it lacks in the action department.

The Ugly Updates: Ballad, the sequel to Lament, is out. Look for my review next week. Stiefvater has also written another series, The Wolves of Mercy Falls. Shiver and Linger are published. The conclusion, Forever, comes out July 2011 . Visit Stiefvater's website for more info about her and her books. She also has a mailing list and a blog with up to date info on all of her books.
(Book links to Amazon)

Overall: A

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The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

View my review of The Iron King, book one in the Iron Fey series.

When we left Meghan at the end of The Iron King, she had just defeated Machina, the ruling Iron King and was headed back to Tir Na Nog, the kingdom of the Winter Court. As Meghan’s story continues, she has been at the Winter Court, bored out of her mind for several months and when she is called upon by the icy Queen Mab, she is only called a liar and accused of turning her son, Ash, against her. As it seems her life can’t get any worse, Ash does something to utterly crush her. Then when someone attacks the Winter Court and an important artifact is stolen from both the Seelie and Unseelie an all out war breaks out between the two. It is left to Meghan and her friends both new and old to save all of Nevernever or risk all that she holds most dear to vanish into thin air.

The Good: Kagawa did it yet again her beautiful active writing sparked yet another hit. We see lots of snarky comments from Puck and well a large lack of emotion from Ash. Though we do see a totally new side of Ash in The Iron Daughter. We also meet an array of new characters that provide new adventures. Kagawa has a great attention to detail which really caught my eye. A little hint of Romeo and Juliet in the beginning makes the romance a prominent part of the story. Overall, The Iron Daughter was a continuation of the series and had my favorite ending, no huge cliffhangers but a decent amount of unanswered questions to keep it interesting.

The Bad: The Iron Daughter was not very consistant the beginning had many long descriptions that made it hard to really get into the book but in the middle it lacked in descriptions. It was a little slow towards the middle that made it hard to continue through but overall it was satisfying and definitely not a waste of time. 

Ugly Updates: The final novel in the trilogy, The Iron Queen, comes out in February 2011. Find the cover here. I personally think its gorgeous. Also check out the e-book novella Winter's Passage, a story that explains what happened between The Iron King and The Iron Daughter. Check out Julie Kagawa's website for info on her, fun stuff, and more info on her books.
(Book links to Amazon)

Rating: B 

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Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

The twelve Dragons and their Dragoneyes have existed for as long as time has been recorded. The energy dragons can manipulate Hua, the energy source in all living things. They with their corresponding Dragoneyes are the protectors of the nation, a cycling year, and a Greater Virtue. Once a year the ascending Dragoneye chooses a new apprentice who will serves twelve years before becoming a Dragoneye for another twelve. Eon is a candidate for the Rat Dragon apprentice among eleven others. He is an outcast in many ways. He is the smallest of all the candidates; he is a cripple, a demon in most’s mind, and he how an uncanny power to connect to all the Dragons. Eon is also a female living in secret because women would be scorned and killed for even attempting to fool the long practiced traditions.

The Good: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn was such a great story of courage, girl power, mystery, and suspense. I am such a huge fan of girls pretending to be guys. It’s such a large archetype and usually ends up the same way, the fact that she’s a girl is discovered but then she saves all the guys and she kicks some serious butt doing it. But though it sounds like a much overused plot Goodman does it in such an incredible way that it is well worth reading. The Asian customs that are explained throughout the novel are such interesting to read and really make the book tangible. I loved reading about the different bows and it made me smile when they scoffed at using a chair or took off their shoes before going inside. The novel is filled with such dynamic and is continually active so you are never bored. Finally, the best part of this story is Eon or Eona. She is such a strong heroine that you will immediately be drawn to her. The transformation she goes through in this novel, alone, is worth reading the book.

The Bad: It’s really hard to say anything bad about this book. It really flew by. And unfortunately it has a cliff-hanger ending, and you should know by now those drive me crazy. But I might just be able to forgive this one. It was set up very nicely for a sequel and I will just wait patiently(ish).

The Ugly Updates: The sequel, Eona: The Last Dragoneye, comes out April 19, 2011. *sigh* so far away. Goodman lives in Australia and has written two other novels; Singing The Dogstar Blues, a science-fiction comedy thriller and Killing the Rabbit, is a crime/thriller for adults. I'm sure they are just as incredible as Eon. Check out Goodman's site for more information about her research behind Eon and details on international versions of the book.

Rating: A+

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Blood Fued by Alyxandra Harvey

As the Drake Chronicles continue, Logan, the more flamboyant, old-fashioned brother, is in charge of showing the Hound representative, Isabeau, who saved his sister, around the Royal grounds and nearby caves. Isabeau is here on business for the Hounds to create a treaty with the new queen, Helena Drake. As threats are made to the royal family, specifically Solange, a one-of-a-kind female born vampire, Isabeau feels it is her duty to protect them. But when someone from her past comes back to haunt her, she must learn to forgive and forget and trust those who mean the most to her. Join Lucy, Solange, and the Drake brothers as they continue their story of love, revenge, and royal politics. 

The Good: Harvey does it again in Blood Feud. She perfectly blends romance, suspense, and action. Her characters are also unique and they really stand out. Isabeau calm, sensible disposition create a character that you know has big secrets. And Isabeau really does which make her all the more intriguing. Logan’s old-fashioned nature makes him fun to read because of the ironic way he blends modern-ness with past traditions and customs. The romance in this book is to die for. Harvey has a way of doing it in a classy but heart-pounding way that is not tacky. With alternating points of view and flashbacks to the past, Blood Fued provides a complex dynamic that makes the book fly by in a very good way.

The Bad: Both big and small novels have their pros and cons. This being a small novel I feel like you didn’t have a lot of time to build up to a giant climax with many twists and secrets. But for a small book it had an adequate amount of action. But if you are comparing it to a book with 400+ pages it leaves a little to be desired.

The Ugly Updates: This is the second novel in the Drake Chronicles and Harvey's second published novel. View my review on book one, Hearts at Stake (aka My Love Lies Bleeding). The third book, Out for Blood, comes out November 1st (I found several dates for this book. This may be incorrect). Haunting Violet will be out in Spring 2011. Visit Harvey's site too. Order books from Amazon; Hearts at Stake, Blood Fued, & Out for Blood.

Rating: B
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In My Mailbox (2)

IMM is a meme I started at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.

Hey everyone so I'm back! I had amazing time in Florida and I'm tan which is awesome. Here was my view from the balcony. Amazing right? Well I missed you all. Hope you had an amazing week.

So very exciting news. I got my first review request from a publisher this week. So check out future IMM for that book. but in my mailbox this week:

• My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

I received this book from the Harlequin Teen Panel. It's a great community for teen girls who love to read. Check it out.

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